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designed more than 2,000 projects worldwide and has planned more than 200 major events, including Olympic Games, World Cups, Super Bowls and NCAA Final Fours. "This facilities master plan will be critical in conjunction with our strategic plan as we develop our roadmap for the short- and long-term future," Barbour said in a prepared statement. "This study will encompass all our venues and spaces and will be vital in helping us de- termine our options in creating the best conditions for success for our student- athletes, enhance the fan experience and add value for our passionate alumni and fans while maximizing the potential of all our facilities." Scott Radecic, senior principal at Pop- ulous and a linebacker on the 1982 na- tional championship team, said the op- portunity to work on the project was "an honor." "We're looking forward to helping shape the future of Penn State athletics through careful planning, an under- standing of existing and emerging trends impacting the fan experience and conversations with student-athletes, administrators and coaches," he said. "This is a tremendous opportunity for the university, and one that signifies a commitment to making the university's programs second to none." Penn State has said that the master plan will address the practice and com- petition venues used by all 31 of its var- sity teams in an effort to formulate a "comprehensive vision for the future." As part of that assessment, the athletic department will look to establish goals not just for the near future but for 20 years and beyond, with site plans and cost estimates included in the report. Improvement projects will be prioritized and phased in with an eye toward meet- ing both current and future needs. The biggest question that Penn State must address in the coming years is what to do with the football stadium, which predates the start of the Paterno era and by all accounts is showing its age. On the university's wish list are wider concourses, better concessions and restrooms, faster elevators and up- grades to a plumbing system that needs to be winterized annually. With those improvements in place, the university could potentially use the stadium to host events other than football, such as out- door hockey games and concerts. As Barbour told the Associated Press re- cently, "There's a recognized need. I've not run into anybody that doesn't rec- ognize that need." The alternative would be to build a new stadium, but Barbour said she's hopeful that the university can create the kind of venue it wants without abandoning its longtime home. "I cer- tainly hope that the answer is that it's cost-effective and that we are able to address the needs in the current Beaver Stadium," she told WBLF. "But again, that's where we're doing our due dili- gence. We're doing the responsible thing and undertaking a study that among a number of other things – because there are other facilities involved – will help inform the Beaver Stadium decision." Barbour said any major stadium reno- vation project would be aimed primarily at improving the fan experience. "Let's face it," she said, "our student athletes – our football program – have the nicest turf, the nicest field in all of college football. So they're well taken care of there, but we have to address technology needs, we need to address concession stands and the ability to provide more of a variety of food, restrooms, concourse width, accessibility, elevators, seating options. The question – and this is why the master plan is so important – is what are our options in doing that? What are the best ways to address those GROWTH SPURT An expansion project in 1978 raised Beaver Sta- dium's capacity to 76,639. It was one of seven major upgrades that the stadium has undergone since it opened in 1960. Photo courtesy of Penn State

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